1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to access points used in wireless local area networks, and more specifically to an access point which includes multiple wireless adapters.
2. Related Art
Wireless local area networks (WLAN""s) use radio frequency transmissions to communicate between roaming computer devices and access points (or base stations). The access points are connected to an infrastructure that electronically connects all of the access points to a host system. The wired infrastructure and the access points make up an information distribution network used for the transfer of information and for communications.
In a wireless networking environment, various types of devices may need to communicate within a given area. When incompatibilities between device types arise, the wireless infrastructure must accommodate the various device types. Accommodating the different device types in a single infrastructure is generally difficult to accomplish. Further, devices within the wireless networking environment typically communicate differing types of data, each with its own priority and bandwidth requirements. Accommodating the various types of data with their related priorities often could not be accomplished by prior devices due to bandwidth limitations, conflicting priorities and incompatible standards within the wireless network.
In prior WLANs, a first wireless terminal that desired to communicate with a base station often could not detect transmissions from a second wireless terminal currently engaged in ongoing communication with the access point. As a result, the wireless terminal often initiated transmissions that collided with the ongoing communications. Operation of this type is referred to as a xe2x80x9chidden terminalxe2x80x9d situation. To solve the hidden terminal situation, some prior base stations were configured with a second transmitter for delivering a carrier signal on a xe2x80x9cbusy channelxe2x80x9d whenever the base station was engaged in communication on the xe2x80x9cdata channel.xe2x80x9d All terminals were also fitted with a second receiver, tuned to the busy channel, and required to check the busy channel before initiating communication on the data channel. However, the additional power required, bandwidth used, hardware needed and associated cost made the busy channel solution undesirable for most applications.
Some prior WLANs attempted to solve operational difficulties by simply increasing the transmission capacity available on the infrastructure. Such expansion temporarily decreased conflicts in operation of the WLANs. However, the infrastructure, which is expensive to install, typically became overloaded quickly resulting in the same or similar problems.
The present invention is directed to communication network that supports communication within a premises. The communication network comprises an access point, a plurality of wireless roaming devices, a first wireless communication channel, and a second wireless communication channel. The access point itself comprises a first processing circuit, a first radio transceiver coupled to the first processing circuit, and a second radio transceiver coupled to the first processing circuit. Each of the plurality of wireless roaming devices comprising a second processing circuit, a third radio transceiver and a radio receiver. Therein, the first wireless communication channel that supports communication flow via the communication network, while the second wireless communication channel is used to manage the flow of communication through the first wireless communication channel. In addition, the first and third radio transceivers are operable on the first wireless communication channel, while the second radio transceiver and the radio receiver are operable on the second wireless communication channel.
The communication network also supports various other aspects of the present invention. For example, the access point may further comprise a wired communication interface circuit coupled to the first processing circuit. Selective participation on the first and second communication channels may also provide further benefits. In one embodiment, each of the plurality of wireless roaming devices utilizes the radio receiver on the second wireless communication channel before participating with the third radio transceiver on the first wireless communication channel. In another, each utilizes the radio receiver on the second wireless communication channel to gain access with the third radio transceiver on the first wireless communication channel. Each may also or alternatively utilize the second wireless communication channel to identify ongoing communication on the first wireless communication channel to, perhaps, provide an indication as to when channel capacity may become available.
Other aspects may be found in an alternate communication network which also supports communication within a premises. This communication network comprises an access point, first and second wireless communication channels and plurality of wireless roaming devices. The first wireless communication channel has first communication flow characteristics, while the second wireless communication channel has second communication flow characteristics. The first and second radio transceivers participate on the first and second wireless communication channels, respectively. Therein, each of the plurality of wireless roaming devices comprises a second processing circuit and means for selectively participating on the first and second wireless communication channels.
The access point may also comprise a wired communication interface circuit coupled to the first processing circuit that may itself comprise a first and a second microprocessor. Additionally, at least one of the plurality of wireless roaming devices may participate on the first wireless communication channel while the other of the plurality of wireless roaming devices participates on the second wireless communication channel. Although the at least one of the plurality of wireless roaming devices may participate on the first wireless communication channel as directed by the access device, other variations and combinations are also possible. For example, at least one of the plurality of wireless roaming devices may participate on the first wireless communication channel to exchange a specific type of data, and/or may participate based on current channel conditions. Such participation may be based the fact that, in some embodiments, the second wireless communication channel is more deterministic than the first wireless communication channel.